March 27, 1819

James Clayton's Will Was Copied

James Clayton, of King and Queen County, died sometime between February 7, 1818, when he wrote his will and January 11, 1820, when it was recorded in the county court. This copy of his will was made on March 27, 1819, by the county deputy clerk probably at the request of one of Clayton's beneficiaries. Clayton's will is significant because King and Queen County is what is known as a "burned record county," or a county that has suffered significant record losses over the course of its history. King and Queen County was created in 1691, and county court records were lost in fires in 1828 and 1865.